Former US Navy 91733, stored outside with Reilly Aviation Inc.

Refer to comments for CF-IMI and VH-VTB on this site for earlier history. One of two Avengers obtained by Steve Searle, Australia in 2005, following his untimely death, it was sold in the US as N337VT and was lost in an accident on 6 May 2018. (Stew Whittred Photograph)

US Navy Avenger bu 86020 was taken on strength by the Royal Canadian Navy in 1950. Using the bu number as the RCN serial, the aircraft was struck off strength in 1958. Registered N7157C circa 1961 and flown as a firebomber until 1976 when bought by Forest Protection Limited and registered C-GFPL. After a gear up landing with minimal damage, it was replaced by a spare aircraft rather than changing the engine and stored 2001 - 06. While most of the FPL Avenger fleet became warbirds or museum artifacts, this one sadly crashed April 23, 2010 after the pilot suffered a heart attack in flight.

With C-GFPO/19, C-GLEK/14, CF-IMI/1 and C-GFPR/4 parked behind. Under-belly tanks clearly visible on all aircraft.

Ex US Navy 53610. Enroute Brockway to Sevogle. Tanker #23 was flown by Capt. Claude Marcoux (Raccoon1).

Enroute from Abbotsford to Juniper (New Brunswick) for the 1975 spruce budworm spray season.

Ex US Navy 53858. Later became C-GCWG.

Ex US Navy 53337.

Aircraft sustained fuel management problems (misidentified as a mechanical issue) during a low-level spraying flight out of Sussex, NB and attempted a wheels-up forced landing on McLaughlan Road / Highway 126 north of Moncton, NB, Canada. A wingtip struck a telephone pole and the aircraft swerved off the road into a field, sustaining significant damage. Normally prior to spraying a block there was a radio call for "spray check" at which time a full wing tank was selected and revs increased among other items. Pilot missed this call due to radio malfunction. The fuselage was trucked out the previous day. Pilot was unhurt.

Ex US Navy 53337.

Ex US Navy 53337.

Photographer: Not known.

Skyway Air Services of Langley, BC first acquired Grumman TBM-3s in the 1960s for spraying and fire fighting. The fire fighting division was spun off as Conair Aviation in April 1969 with a fleet of ex-RCN and US Navy single-engine Grumman Avengers which were later sold to Forest Protection in New Brunswick. Avenger CF-MUE/618 was photographed being washed at the BC Forest Service tanker base north of the Conair hangars at Abbotsford on July after attacking a receives a wash after a mission on July 6, 1975. It was exported to the USA as N40402 in 2001.

Ex US Navy 91733. Converted to a tanker and flown by Cisco Aircraft in 1961/62 and Desert Aviation Service in 1963/64. Operated by Aircraft Specialities of Mesa as a sprayer from 1966-1977, Retired and later to to Globe Air and to the Collings Foundation in 1986 and current with them in 2021.

Originally delivered to the US Navy as 69344.

Operated by D&D Aero Spray. Originally delivered to the US Navy as 69472.

Operated by Reeder Flying Service. At the time of the photo is was set up for agricultural spraying. Originally delivered to the US Navy as 91521.